After dating his future wife Jennifer for only five months, Scott Martin knew she was his perfect match. So the Indiana-based Meineke owner did what any good franchisee would do: He invited her to attend the car-care company’s national corporate convention in Boca Raton, Florida, and dropped to one knee on the expo floor. By Jessica Jones

Husband-wife duo own and operate 7 successful Meineke shops in Indiana

After dating his future wife Jennifer for only five months, Scott Martin knew she was his perfect match. So the Indiana-based Meineke owner did what any good franchisee would do: He invited her to attend the car-care company’s national corporate convention in Boca Raton, Florida, and dropped to one knee on the expo floor.

“I think the convention proposal sort of prepped her for being a successful Meineke wife,” Martin laughed, detailing a bottle of champagne and flowers proffered by the company CEO who had no problem with the couple celebrating on Meineke time. “I couldn’t think of a better way to ask her to be a part of every aspect of my life.”

The couple, who married in 2012, now own and operate seven Meineke shops together in their Indianapolis hometown. Martin said their relationship – both personal and professional – was simply “meant to be.”

“We met six months after I became a Meineke franchisee,” Martin said. “I was experiencing a major transition in my life, and as soon as we started dating, I knew she was along for the ride.”

Martin, a self-made entrepreneur, was no stranger to business ownership when he joined the Meineke family. Transforming his high school landscaping job into a $500,000 annual business by the time he graduated from college, he managed hundreds of clients and dozens of employees for the better part of a decade. But a major accident in 2007 left Martin without full use of his left hand, and he was forced to sell the business.

“I was defeated,” he said. “I didn’t know what else to do with my life. I moved to New York City and after a year and a half of partying, common sense called me home.”

Martin connected with a former customer who owned a Meineke shop and after working there for a few months, he decided to buy the business.

“I loved every single second of it,” Martin said. “The structure, the coaching, the best practice benchmarks – there were so many benefits to being a franchisee that I wasn’t aware of when I owned my landscaping company. I had the work ethic and the integrity – adding in that extra layer of support from the Meineke brand was exactly what I needed. It was very appealing to me to be a part of something bigger than just myself.”

Martin was also attracted to Meineke’s investment model: Essential, recession-resistant and needs-based, the company thrives on repeat business in a fragmented industry. Customer experience is anchored by technology and a multi-unit playbook is used to assist owners with expansion – a tool which Martin took advantage of when he gradually expanded his ownership from one shop to three.

“It took us some time to streamline our vision for the business, and we had to figure out the best way to run multiple shops,” Martin said. “We went through several different iterations of what it should look like on paper. But once we defined our roles, it all began to click. I think what makes our franchise so successful is that we both stay in our own lanes. We keep each other accountable but are wholly responsible for our own set of tasks.”

In 2017, the couple opened three more shops, and they expanded their business once again in 2019 when they opened their seventh location.

“We opened our most recent shop three weeks before COVID-19 hit, so that was definitely a challenge,” Martin said. “But the brand has remained strong throughout this pandemic, and together Jen and I have managed each of our franchises successfully.”

Martin’s Meineke locations are within 90 minutes of each other – allowing him the ability to stop at all of his locations on an average business day.

“I try to hit every location twice a week when business and family life allow it,” Martin said.

Jennifer handles the company financials while balancing the Martin family, which consists of two young boys. Together, the couple is active in their church, serving on both the worship team and prison ministry. Scott enjoys golfing and biking, while Jennifer is an avid runner. She bakes cakes, cookies and brownies whenever one of their Meineke centers sets a record or when a staffer is celebrating a birthday.

“We’re a good team,” Martin concluded. “We’ve built our success together.”

For more information about Meineke franchising opportunities, visit meinekefranchise.com.

– Jessica Jones